The Sun's defence editor, latest journalist arrested

Virginia Wheeler, defence editor of The Sun, has been arrested by police
investigating corrupt payments to public officials.

Miss Wheeler, 32, was arrested by appointment and was questioned at a South London police station before being released on bail.

She is the 23rd person arrested as part of Operation Elveden, launched by Scotland Yard to investigate allegations that journalists at News International had paid police officers and other public officials for information.

Last month detectives launched a series of dawn raids detaining nine senior journalists from the Sun newspaper. A serving member of the Armed Forces, a Ministry of Defence employee and a Surrey Police officer were also detained. All have been bailed to a future date.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Service said: “Detectives from Operation Elveden have today arrested a 32 year old woman by appointment on suspicion of corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office (contrary to common law) and conspiracy in relation to both offences.

“She is currently in custody at a south London police station. This is the twenty third arrest as part of Operation Elveden.”

The spokesman added: “The operation is investigating suspected payments to police officers and public officials and is not about seeking journalists to reveal confidential sources in relation to information that has been obtained legitimately.”

Miss Wheeler has worked at The Sun for six years and last year was promoted becoming the paper's first ever female defence editor.

She has reported from Afghanistan and Libya during her time in the role.

Earlier this week Dep Asst Commissioner Sue Akers, who is running the investigation, told the Leveson Inquiry into press standards that police had uncovered “network of corrupt public officials” who had received tens of thousands of pounds from journalists.

She said the investigation had uncovered a “culture” of corrupt payments at The Sun but added the majority of information traded was “salacious gossip” rather than stories in the public interest.

Those already arrested as part of the probe include The Sun's deputy editor Geoff Webster, picture editor John Edwards, chief reporter John Kay, chief foreign correspondent Nick Parker, and news editor John Sturgis.

Head of news Chris Pharo, 42, and Mike Sullivan, the paper’s long serving crime editor, along with former executives at the paper, Fergus Shanahan, 57, and Graham Dudman, were also detained.

Their arrests led The Sun's associate editor, Trevor Kavanagh, to launch an attack on police, claiming his colleagues had been treated like "members of an organised crime gang".

He described the investigation as a "witch-hunt" and suggested that free speech in the UK was under attack.